Friday, 27 April 2012
Times are a changing.....
Change is all over the air in Malaysia. Throughout major cities, Malaysians are wanting a cleaner democracy. Here are some classic protest songs posted on songfacts forum to keep up your momentum.
1) "We Shall Overcome" - Traditional/Adapted by Pete Seeger
This tune was originally a slave spiritual. It was picked up during labor strikes in the 1940s, when people changed the original lyric from "I ..." to "We shall overcome." The song was re-popularized in the 1960s by Pete Seeger. Pete learned the song from a woman named Zilphia Horton, who was a labor striker at the time. By the time Pete adapted it and taught it to others, it took on its own life as an anthem in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
2) "This Land is Your Land" - Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie wrote this song in 1940, and it was originally called "God Blessed America For Me." But while recording it in 1944, he decided to change the last line of each verse to "This land was made for you and me." The song is a great tribute to the working class, and an editorial on the distribution of wealth and power in the America. It's a great call to protest, claiming this land belongs to us, and noone can take that away.
3) "Blowing in the Wind" - Bob Dylan
When Bob Dylan debuted this song at Gerdes Folk City, he announced to the crowd, "This here ain't no protest song or anything like that, 'cause I don't write no protest songs." But whether Bob likes it or not, this song became an anthem in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The song asks a series of daring questions about the worth of a person. It has since been covered by folks from Stevie Wonder to Judy Collins.
4) "Give Peace a Chance" - John Lennon
At the end of his week-long "bed-in" in 1969 with his new wife Yoko Ono, John Lennon had recording equipment brought into the hotel room. There, along with Timothy Leary, members of the Canadian Radha Krishna Temple, and a roomful of others, John recorded this song. It was the height of the Vietnam war, and this song became an anthem of the peace movement that summer. It has lived on in its anthemic quality since then during peace movements all over the world.
5) "People Have the Power" - Patti Smith
Calling Patti Smith a folksinger would surely upset fans in both Folk music and Rock circles. But her anthem, "People Have the Power," is one of the most potent, lyrical, lovely protest songs I've ever heard. And it's certainly a big part of what has taken her work to legendary status. Recorded in 1988, "People Have the Power" serves as a reminder that, as she sings at the end of the song, "everything we dream can come to pass through our union."
6) "Get up, Stand up" - Bob Marley
With its catchy, repetitive chorus, this song is a shoe-in to be counted among the most timeless protest songs. It's the first track on Bob's "Burnin'" CD. Although it communicates a decisive rasta philosophy, the tune defies religious and political barriers, and communicates a universal message about the importance of standing up for your rights.
7) "If I Had a Hammer" - Pete Seeger
This is one of those songs that has seeped so far into the public consciousness that it's included in children's songbooks. It's a simple, easy song to remember. It so idealistic that people can't help but sing along.
8) "War" - Edwinn Starr
Originally recorded by the Temptations, this song was popularized in 1970 by Edwin Starr. The Vietnam war was at the height of its conflict, and the peace movement was gaining speed. The song talks about war in general, not specifically the one in Vietnam. The lyrics raise the question of whether there must be a better way to resolve conflict.
9) "I Ain't Marchin' Anymore" - Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs was one of the most prolific "protest song" writers on the scene in the 60s and 70s. This song takes the voice of a young soldier who is refusing to fight in any more wars, after having seen and participated in so many killings at war. It's a poetic look into the inside of the ugliness of war, and a staunch claim for Och's "War is Over" stance.
10) "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" - Pete Seeger
That Pete Seeger really knows how to write those protest songs. This is yet another classic by Woody's protege. The simple recurring lyrics make it completely sing-along-able. The story is of the cycle of war, beginning with young girls picking flowers that eventually end up on the graves of their dead soldier husbands. The recanting of "When will they ever learn" is so pretty and catchy that it gets sung at peace demonstrations even still.
1) "We Shall Overcome" - Traditional/Adapted by Pete Seeger
This tune was originally a slave spiritual. It was picked up during labor strikes in the 1940s, when people changed the original lyric from "I ..." to "We shall overcome." The song was re-popularized in the 1960s by Pete Seeger. Pete learned the song from a woman named Zilphia Horton, who was a labor striker at the time. By the time Pete adapted it and taught it to others, it took on its own life as an anthem in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
2) "This Land is Your Land" - Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie wrote this song in 1940, and it was originally called "God Blessed America For Me." But while recording it in 1944, he decided to change the last line of each verse to "This land was made for you and me." The song is a great tribute to the working class, and an editorial on the distribution of wealth and power in the America. It's a great call to protest, claiming this land belongs to us, and noone can take that away.
3) "Blowing in the Wind" - Bob Dylan
When Bob Dylan debuted this song at Gerdes Folk City, he announced to the crowd, "This here ain't no protest song or anything like that, 'cause I don't write no protest songs." But whether Bob likes it or not, this song became an anthem in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The song asks a series of daring questions about the worth of a person. It has since been covered by folks from Stevie Wonder to Judy Collins.
4) "Give Peace a Chance" - John Lennon
At the end of his week-long "bed-in" in 1969 with his new wife Yoko Ono, John Lennon had recording equipment brought into the hotel room. There, along with Timothy Leary, members of the Canadian Radha Krishna Temple, and a roomful of others, John recorded this song. It was the height of the Vietnam war, and this song became an anthem of the peace movement that summer. It has lived on in its anthemic quality since then during peace movements all over the world.
5) "People Have the Power" - Patti Smith
Calling Patti Smith a folksinger would surely upset fans in both Folk music and Rock circles. But her anthem, "People Have the Power," is one of the most potent, lyrical, lovely protest songs I've ever heard. And it's certainly a big part of what has taken her work to legendary status. Recorded in 1988, "People Have the Power" serves as a reminder that, as she sings at the end of the song, "everything we dream can come to pass through our union."
6) "Get up, Stand up" - Bob Marley
With its catchy, repetitive chorus, this song is a shoe-in to be counted among the most timeless protest songs. It's the first track on Bob's "Burnin'" CD. Although it communicates a decisive rasta philosophy, the tune defies religious and political barriers, and communicates a universal message about the importance of standing up for your rights.
7) "If I Had a Hammer" - Pete Seeger
This is one of those songs that has seeped so far into the public consciousness that it's included in children's songbooks. It's a simple, easy song to remember. It so idealistic that people can't help but sing along.
8) "War" - Edwinn Starr
Originally recorded by the Temptations, this song was popularized in 1970 by Edwin Starr. The Vietnam war was at the height of its conflict, and the peace movement was gaining speed. The song talks about war in general, not specifically the one in Vietnam. The lyrics raise the question of whether there must be a better way to resolve conflict.
9) "I Ain't Marchin' Anymore" - Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs was one of the most prolific "protest song" writers on the scene in the 60s and 70s. This song takes the voice of a young soldier who is refusing to fight in any more wars, after having seen and participated in so many killings at war. It's a poetic look into the inside of the ugliness of war, and a staunch claim for Och's "War is Over" stance.
10) "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" - Pete Seeger
That Pete Seeger really knows how to write those protest songs. This is yet another classic by Woody's protege. The simple recurring lyrics make it completely sing-along-able. The story is of the cycle of war, beginning with young girls picking flowers that eventually end up on the graves of their dead soldier husbands. The recanting of "When will they ever learn" is so pretty and catchy that it gets sung at peace demonstrations even still.
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